Grusonia pulchella
Beautiful club-cholla, Beautiful Club-Cholla
(c) Michelle Cloud-Hughes, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), uploaded by Michelle Cloud-Hughes · licence
Family: Cactaceae · Type: Shrub · Native
Conservation status: CNPS 2B.2
Grusonia pulchella (Beautiful club-cholla) is a native California shrub in the Cactaceae family, recognized by . Distinguished by tuberous base, pink flowers, red spiny fruits, and higher elevation range.
Beautiful club-cholla is a rare (CNPS 2B.2) California native perennial found in the southern eastern desert bioregion on borders of dry lakes and sandy flats at elevations of 1,500 to 1,700 meters. Flowering from May to June, this plant produces pink-magenta flowers with green to yellow filaments nestled among distinctive club-shaped cactus segments. Growing as a compact perennial less than 0.2 meters in diameter, it forms clumped stems 10 to 20 centimeters tall with narrowly club-shaped segments. Its cactus segments have sparse spines less than 6 centimeters long, with bulbous bases and sharp angles, surrounded by distinctive glochids up to 1.5 centimeters long. The fruit is fleshy and red, typically 2 to 3 centimeters long and covered with numerous thin, crowded spines.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 1 sympatric species. Distinguished by tuberous base, pink flowers, red spiny fruits, and higher elevation range.
Habitat and range
Habitat: Borders of dry lakes, sandy flats
Elevation: 1500-1700 m
California counties: Inyo, Mono
Outside California: Nevada, western Utah
Bloom period
Grusonia pulchella blooms May-Jun.
Conservation status
CNPS 2B.2
How to tell it apart
vs Cylindropuntia: Grusonia has flattened major spines and stays under 10 inches; Cylindropuntia has round spines and grows waist-high or taller.; vs Echinocereus: Grusonia has segmented stems with flattened spines; Echinocereus has ribbed continuous stems with radial round spines.; vs Opuntia: Grusonia has cylindrical segments with flattened spines; Opuntia has flattened pad segments.
Frequently asked questions
Is Grusonia pulchella native to California?
Yes. Grusonia pulchella is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Grusonia pulchella bloom?
Grusonia pulchella blooms May-Jun.
Where in California does Grusonia pulchella grow?
Grusonia pulchella occurs in Inyo, Mono, at elevations of 1500-1700 m.
What plant family does Grusonia pulchella belong to?
Grusonia pulchella is in the Cactaceae family, genus Grusonia.
Is Grusonia pulchella rare or endangered?
Grusonia pulchella carries California Rare Plant Rank 2B.2, state rank S2.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · CNPS Rare Plant Inventory · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos · CDFW CNDDB
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.